A Mini Tour of MF High
by LitLover 101
Summary: Prequel story: Crush. Lust. Infatuation. Love. Hate. Cheerleader. Psycho. Queen. Star-Crossed Lovers. Can't stop. Won't stop. This is the end of everything we knew to be true. Reputations made and lost. This is where childhood ends. A series of short stories about the lives of the characters from A Not so Brief Tour of M F High.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the _The Vampire Diaries_ or characters from _The Originals_ who might pop up in this fic. **

**Hello, my lovely readers. The first back story/short story about the gang from M F high is dedicated to TrentonTess. On with the show**

Chapter 1: I Don't Like You, at All

"Give me an M!" Hayley Marshall shouted as she stood in the middle of a coffee table. Music pounded through the room while students danced and sang songs they thought they'd love forever; but would forget them by next year. Other students were gathered around the table, cheering Hayley on, and trying to look up her skirt.

"M!" Anna shouted, shaking a cup full-of-something which looked like fruit punch and smelled like alcohol.

"Give me a Y!" Hayley shouted, pointing at Liv, who shook her blonde curls as she talked to an upper classman, and did not seem to notice Hayley.

Vikki kicked Liv in the calf—from her seat on the couch. Liv jumped, and cried out, rubbing her calf. "What the _hell_ , Vik!" the blonde shouted at their captain.

"Give her a Y!" Vikki shouted at Liv, pointing at Hayley, who stood atop the table, an eyebrow arched. "If you want on the squad next year!" the older girl snapped, giving Liv a long look before falling back into Damon Salvatore's arms.

" _Y_!" Liv shouted, raising her arm, fist balled, a forced smile on her lips.

Hayley nodded. "Give me a –" she stopped mid-cheer when Elijah Mikaelson walked in the door, his arm thrown over the shoulders of Katherine Pierce. She inhaled sharply and then her smile returned. "Give me an S!" she called out with a huge smile.

"S!" Damon cried in a high, falsetto tone that made Hayley roll her eyes.

"Give me your bra!" Stefan Salvatore cried, climbing on the table, and trying to stick his hands under her top as Hayley tried to stop him.

" _Cut_ _it_ _out_ , Stefan!" Hayley shouted, when Tom Salvatore—one of the other Salvatore triplets—entered the room. He stomped over to Stefan and jerked him off the table. Stefan tried to get away but Tom was stronger and Stefan gave up fighting.

"This party sucks," Katherine said as she and Elijah came closer to the rest of the crowd.

"Need a pick-me up?" a redheaded girl asked and Katherine grinned.

"Thanks, Sage, you _always_ have my back," Katherine said.

Elijah grabbed Katherine by the arm. "Kat," he said quietly.

Katherine smiled at him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be back, _soon_. _Enjoy_ the party without me, baby," she whispered to him.

Katherine was a year younger than Hayley, but she acted like she was older. Maybe because she was dating Elijah, who was three years older than Kat. Hayley _thought_ it was only three. But Elijah looked so young that she didn't know how old he was. She knew he was in his junior year; so he had to be sixteen. _Right_?

What Hayley did know about Elijah was that he was quiet. Shy, almost. He kept to himself—most of the time—except when he was with Kat. Hayley had seen him, with a book in hand, when she was trying-out for the high school cheerleading squad that summer. He had been sitting in the bleachers. She supposed it was because it was quiet down there, and there were not too many people to bug him.

Hayley blushed when Elijah looked her way, but he didn't even seem to see her. He walked over to his brother, Klaus, who stood beside his little geeky, friend, Caroline Forbes. Caroline had hit a growth spurt last year and had to buy a bigger shirt—to cover up her boobs—now that boys like Stefan had begun to tease her. Why would you want to hide your hotness? It was stupid. _Really_.

"Get you a drink?" one of the jocks, Jesse-something asked Hayley.

" _Sure_ ," Hayley said with a smile.

Bonnie Bennett gave her the evil eye but Hayley tossed her hair over her shoulder and glared back. If Bonnie didn't want her boyfriend to flirt with other girls; she shouldn't take her eyes off him. Bonnie walked into the kitchen and Hayley let out a snort; turning to Anna. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Anna said with a shake of her head.

" _Obviously_ ," Hayley sighed and decided to go check on her makeup. She headed up the stairs. On her way past the bedrooms, she heard the typical moaning that came with most parties in their dreary, little town.

Hayley walked into one of the bathrooms and locked the door behind her. " _Hey_!" a voice called from inside the shower. She jumped, turning to find Elena Gilbert and Silas Salvatore, in the tub, with a bottle of red wine. " _Want_ some?" Elena asked, extending the bottle to Hayley.

"Thanks," Hayley reached for it when Elena pulled the bottle back to her chest with a pout.

"No drinks for the Pom Poms," Elena said and then let out a loud giggle. She looked at Silas, who let out a loud giggle of his own. "Go away, Pom Pom!" she cried at Hayley.

Glaring at the two drunken friends, Hayley unlocked the door and yanked it open. She stopped when she saw Elijah. He stood in the doorway of a bedroom. His fingers were wrapped around the doorframe and his face had gone white. Then he walked away. Hayley hurried down the hall. She looked inside the room, to see Katherine in bed with her friends, Jules and Brady. "Stop gawking and close the door, _or_ come in here," Katherine snapped at Hayley who slammed the door shut.

Hayley ran to the stairs and saw Elijah as he left the house. She pushed past her fellow students and kids who she would be in classes with at the beginning of the new school year. "Hey, Hayley," someone called to her. She ignored them as she opened the door and ran into the dark night.

People stood just outside the front door, talking, making out, laughing, dancing and drinking. Hayley stood on tip-toe, until she spotted Elijah's dark hair. Taking off, she ran after him. "Elijah," she called breathlessly, stopping at the end of the block. A cramp had begun to form in her left leg, a stitch made her side hurt like hell, her breathing came out in short gasps. "Elijah," she called again.

Elijah paused, turned around and looked at her, his eyebrows went up. " _Yeah_?" he called back to her.

" _Wait_!" Hayley called to him, out-of-breath. Her heart was pounding in her chest.

Elijah watched her for a moment and then he came back down the sidewalk. Stopping, just in front of her, he looked down at her and she felt his dark gaze penetrating her. " _What_ _do_ _you_ _want_?" he snapped at her.

Hayley looked back up at him. She felt small as his eyes bored into her. Yes, he stood six or seven inches taller than she did—but it was the way that he was looking at her that made her feel like she was tiny. He leaned closer to her and she took an involuntary step back. She could feel his anger and his pain. It radiated off of him.

"What do you _want_?" Elijah demanded between clenched teeth. "Tell me, _little_ _girl_ , what do you _want_ from me?" he questioned her.

Hayley felt her lower lip quiver. " _Nothing_ ," she whimpered.

" _What_?" Elijah yelled, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her.

Letting out a gasp, Hayley stepped on his foot, hard. "I don't want anything. Let go of me!" she shouted, tears welling up in her eyes.

"I _don't_ know you!" Elijah snarled at her. " _Why_ did you follow me?"

Shaking all over, Hayley twisted in his grip. " _Please_. Let me _go_!" she cried, eyes on the top of her strappy heels.

"You're just a _little_ girl," Elijah told her. "You're my sister's age?" he muttered like he was talking to himself. "You _shouldn't_ follow people from parties. You _don't_ know me. You _don't_ _know_ what I would do to you."

" _Let_ _me_ _go_ ," Hayley whimpered again. " _Please_."

" _Don't_ follow me, _again_ ," Elijah warned her, pushing her away from him with a disgusted look. " _Get_ _lost_ , _kid_."

Hayley ran from Elijah. She swore to herself that she would never, ever allow him to touch her again.

 **One Year Later:**

"Is that the _best_ you can do?" Vikki shouted at Hayley, who felt like her legs would give out at any second. " _Again_!" she shouted.

Hayley groaned. Her back arched as she forced a smile. One hand going up in the air—like she was a gymnast—about to perform for the Olympic community. Turning sideways—keeping her heels pressed together—she placed both hands above her head in a perfect line before taking a running start. Using her momentum, she flew through the air, into a perfect set of forward flips, ending in a somersault, and a splits. She turned her upper body sideways to offer Vikki a huge smile.

Vikki stood on the sidelines with Liv, Anna, and the other girls. Vikki nodded with a smirk. "Good. But I expect _perfection_. My team has _always_ gone to nationals. Go _again_ , Marshall."

Hayley inhaled and forced her shaky legs back up. She spotted Elijah. He laid under the bleachers, writing something—probably something obscene with his knife—the one he carried in his boot. He stopped, catching her watching him, and stared back. His lack of expression made her shiver.

Elijah had changed. He used to wear dark clothes but now he wore nothing but black and his eyes were rimmed with black eyeliner. She'd heard he beat up a freshman—the first week of classes—who mentioned Kat to Elijah's face. The freshman transferred and Elijah had been suspended for a month. He did not seem to care.

Now, Elijah rested on his elbows, his eyes on Hayley and she felt naked. She wished she'd worn something more than her black short-shorts and the pink tank, with the barely-there straps that was cut low enough to show cleavage which was still growing.

Sucking in a deep breath, Hayley attacked the next handspring with all her concentration. "Better. _Again_!" Vikki shouted. Hayley looked back at Elijah who was still watching her. She'd show him what real anger looked like and she was not scared anymore.

Attacking the exercise again, Hayley let out a shout of triumph as she sailed through the air, and fell down, hard, her legs actually burning. Her hands protesting when she hit the ground. Instead of looking to Vikki, for approval, she looked at Elijah, who finally smirked at her as she panted.

" _Again_!" Vikki shouted.

Hayley got to her feet, gritted her teeth, and strode to her spot. She took her position and then gave the next try her all. As she flew in the dismount, she let out a sudden cry of shock—when she realized that her leg would not straighten out completely and she fell down on her ankle. " _Shit_!" she screamed, holding her ankle.

Hot tears ran down her cheeks as she rolled onto her side and her right eye peered at the grass beneath her and the other connected with Elijah who did not move. He seemed to be frozen in place as the girls gathered around her.

"Come here," Vikki called to her and Hayley wrapped her arm around Vikki's shoulders. Liv and Vikki carried her into the school.

An hour later, Hayley inhaled as she made her way down the hall. She really wished she hadn't told the girls she'd be fine. She'd just twisted her ankle. She'd had worse injuries during junior high practice; so she thought she'd be fine.

Hayley puffed out air as she headed towards the girl's locker room. "Need help?" Elijah's voice came from down the hall and Hayley spotted him. He leaned against the wall, a smirk on his face.

" _No_ ," Hayley snapped, biting down a cry of pain as she made her way toward the bathroom. " _I_ _don't_ _need_ _anything_ _from_ _you_."

Elijah let out a harsh laugh. "Come on, Marshall," he called in imitation of Vikki's voice. "Do it for the _team_."

" _Screw_. _You_. _Elijah_!" Hayley bit out before she pushed herself one step closer to the locker room.

Elijah let out another laugh. "I didn't know you were _so_ feisty," he told her. She forced herself to not shrink back when he crossed the hallway and came to stand over her. "You're making me have _bad_ _thoughts_ , Hayley," he told her, pressing closer to her.

Pressing her body against the wall behind her; Hayley glared up at Elijah. "Don't you _have_ a girlfriend?" she snapped at him.

Elijah let out a dark chuckle. " _No_. Are you offering?" he asked her, reaching down and tugging at her tank top strap.

"I've got a _rep_ to protect, and screwing the school's resident psychopath _isn't_ going to get me _anywhere_. Now, get the _hell_ _out_ _of_ _my_ _way_!" Hayley tried to shove past Elijah. He took a step back and she fell into him.

Again, he laughed at her, and it was really beginning to piss her off. "You think I'd want _you_?" Elijah demanded, grabbing her ponytail and forced her to look him in the eye. "You're _so_ dull-witted and arrogant that you think I want a _brainless_ , _social_ - _climbing_ , _little_ _bitch_ , _like_ _you_?"

Hayley snapped and spit in his face. For a moment, Elijah actually looked shocked and Hayley smiled. "How do you _like_ a taste of your spite?" she asked him.

His hand moved so quickly she did not have time to blink when he wrapped it around her shoulder and pushed her back into the wall. Her breathing became erratic as his body pinned hers to wall. He pressed his nose to her neck and inhaled and she trembled. "I could do _anything_ to you right now," he told her.

"I'm _not_ afraid of you. I know that's what you want, but I'm not," Hayley replied.

Elijah drew back, his dark eyes penetrated her, again, and she inhaled sharply. "You _need_ a shower," he told her and then he let her go.

Hayley gasped when Elijah stepped back and walked away. She inhaled and exhaled quickly, trying to gain control of her racing heart and hormones. " _Hayley_?" Anna called as she came jogging back down the hall. "I totally _forgot_ my jacket in my locker. Did you need help to the showers?"

Nodding, Hayley looked to the end of the hallway and half-expected to see Elijah there, but he wasn't. "Yeah. _Thanks_." The two girls took their time to get up to the showers and Hayley tried to get rid of images of Elijah Mikaelson.

 _ **MF High**_

"Elijah Mikaelson is a _total_ psycho!" Vikki told them, painting her nails as she laid on Hayley's bed.

"Yeah. He _is_ ," Liv agreed. "He wrote that Hales is a slut, who put out to, like, the _entire_ football team, under the bleachers," she told the group.

"His brother, Klaus _is_ hot," Anna said as she offered Hayley a bowl of popcorn.

Vikki grinned. "Damon is the _hottest_ guy on campus but there are some _really_ hot guys at Whitmore. You guys need to come with. This Saturday. I have a friend, who has a friend, who scored me some fake IDs. It's time that Hales loses her V-card. No virgins on the squad this year. Just _don't_ get preggers. _Seriously_! I _don't_ want any fatties on the team." She gave Anna, who had just picked up a handful of popcorn, a pointed look "We need to be some hot bitches."

Saturday came and Hayley felt a pit in her stomach growing. "Are you dressed?" Vikki snapped through the door. Hayley looked at the ridiculously short black dress that fell just below her panties and rolled her eyes. She wore too much makeup, thanks to Vikki. Red, red lipstick, black eyeliner, in thick strokes, and blush that made her looked flushed.

" _Coming_!" Hayley called back. She refused to blot the makeup so that Vik did not bitch at her. "You _can_ do this," she told herself. All she had to do was pick up a hot guy, hook up, and everything would be fine. She could do this. She would do this. Otherwise, she would be off the team. She just wished that she wasn't the only virgin. Why did Anna and Liv already have to have done it? It sucked.

Hayley opened the door and Vikki looked her over. "You look _hot_ , Hales. _Let's_ _go_!" Vikki cheered and they left.

Hayley rode in the back of Vikki's car, with Anna in the front. Anna was her only real competition for head cheerleader—two years from then—and Hayley would do anything to be the alpha. Or so she thought.

They rode up to Whitmore and Vikki led the way across the lawn. A boy came out of the crowd and kissed her on the lips. "Vikki Donavon. Looking beautiful, as always. And you brought us sacrifices, to the altar, this year," the college boy said, eying them.

"Shut up, Tristan," Vikki cried with a laugh. "You're going to have to be careful with Hayley. She's our _newcomer_. Say 'Hi,' Hayley!"

"Hi," Hayley said, waving at the guy who grinned back at her.

They walked into the frat house and Hayley felt her stomach sink. A cup was shoved into her hand and she took a sip before choking. _Ugh_ , she thought, trying not to spit it back out.

"Tastes _good_ ," another boy said.

"Excuse me," Hayley said. She brushed past the guy who gave her the drink and then went in search of her friends. Anna and Liv were staying together while Vikki went upstairs with Tristan.

Hayley felt alone and insecure. "You want to dance?" another guy asked her.

"No, thanks," she told him.

"Come on. I _won't_ bite," the guy said.

"I said ' _No_ ,'" Hayley snapped. The guy took her arm, trying to pull her to the dance floor which was just part of the living room, filled with couples groping each other while swaying to the beat.

"She said 'No,'" Elijah's voice came out of the crowd and Hayley watched him grab the guy's arm and twist it behind his back. "Would you like it better if _I_ said it?" he inquired.

"No, man, she's all _yours_ ," the frat brother said.

Elijah took Hayley by the arm and dragged her out of the house. "You can thank Niklaus for talking me into going out for 'Fresh air,' tonight. What were you doing here?" he snapped at her while he shoved her into the passenger seat of whoever's car he was driving.

"Vikki _made_ me come. I _have_ to tell them I'm leaving," Hayley said, moving to open the car door when Elijah leaned over her and locked it.

" _They_ can call you. _Tomorrow_ ," Elijah said, revving then engine and bumping a car on his way out.

They sat in silence, the entire way back to Mystic Falls. By the time they got back, it was three in the morning. "I _can't_ go home. My parents _think_ I'm staying the night at Anna's," Hayley told Elijah as he drove through town. Elijah grunted in response. He drove to the high school. "What are we doing _here_?" Hayley asked him.

"Can't get enough of the place," Elijah told her, grabbing a blanket from the backseat and taking off. Hayley got out of the car and followed him.

"What are you _doing_?" she demanded as they walked over to the bleachers. He climbed under them, without replying, laying the blanket down and laid on his back. " _Elijah_?"

"Are you coming, or did you want to sleep in the car?" Elijah asked, eying her.

Hayley snorted and then climbed under the bleachers, settling down beside him. She looked up at the stars. "It's a nice view."

Pausing, Hayley refused to look at Elijah as she opened her mouth to speak. "Thank you. For saving me. At the party." She avoided eye contact for another thirty seconds before she looked at Elijah.

Elijah smirked at her. "Yes. I'm a knight in shining armor." Propping himself up on his elbow, he examined her. "What were you doing there?"

Sucking in a deep breath, Hayley looked at the bleachers. "Well, Vikki said I had to lose my V-card…" Laughter erupted from Elijah. Her eyes flicked to him, seeing that he had fallen on his back and was shaking, she felt annoyed. "It's not funny."

"You're right. It's not." Elijah's smile did not echo his words. "You should have sex with a boy who cares about you." She stared at him for a long moment before he glanced at her and scoffed. "Not me."

"Okay," Hayley replied, not meaning it. Carefully, she moved to him, pressing her face into his chest. "Good night, Elijah."

"Night, Hayley," Elijah mumbled.

Smirking, Hayley enjoyed the feeling of the bad boy's heart, pumping, steadily, underneath her palm. Her reputation would be in ruins if anyone ever found out, but she didn't care at that moment.

 **Let me know if there is any character or ship that you would like a short back story of from A Not so Brief Tour of M F High, in the reviews.**

 **Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


	2. Chapter 2

**Note: I accidently posted two different versions of the same chapter—last time— which is an issue that has been resolved.**

 **Hello, my lovely readers. There will be one more chapter after this one. On with the show…**

Chapter 2: I Hate You, Too

"Okay. _Okay_. _Stop_ ," Hayley mumbled. Elijah groaned, rolling onto his back. They lay underneath the bleachers—as they always do on Sunday nights—when there wasn't a football game. She was breathing heavily and he looked at her. Her hair fell on the blanket he'd brought with him, her skin shone with sweat and her lips had a faint purple tinge from how long they'd been making out.

"And _now_?" Elijah asked her. Hayley looked at him, and sighed, a smile appearing on her face. They'd been doing this for six months now. Sneaking in kisses, whenever, and wherever, they could. He felt fairly certain that no one knew about them. It would kill both of their reputations and they'd both worked too hard to create their personas.

" _More_ ," Hayley moaned, and he rolled on top of her, jerking her shirt off, moving his mouth over her flat stomach. Hayley cried out as he moved back up to kiss her lips. He unhooked her bra, tossing it aside. She rolled on top of him, pressing his hands down into the blanket and she writhed on top of him.

"I need _more_ ," Elijah told her, pulling his right hand free and undoing the button to her jeans.

"Not tonight," Hayley cried out.

" _When_?" Elijah groaned as she continued to grind against him. "You're driving me _mad_."

"You _love_ it," Hayley told him, kissing him on the lips, and he rolled her onto her back, wrapping his hands around her breasts and making her cry out. "Elijah," she said, looking him in the eye. "Oh, God, Elijah."

"Good night," Elijah said, sitting up and grabbing his shirt.

" _What_?" Hayley gasped. "What do you mean: 'Good night?' I thought you wanted _more_ ," Hayley protested as he stood up. She grabbed her shirt, pulling it over her head.

"You said you're _not_ ready," Elijah retorted, stooping to pick up the blanket.

Hayley had to move quickly as Elijah tugged at the blanket. She glared at him. "And you're _supposed_ to talk me into it!" she exclaimed.

Scoffing, Elijah narrowed his eyes at his little girlfriend. "Hayley, darling, have you been watching films from the '50s, _again_?" he inquired with a sneer of contempt.

Growling, Hayley came over and smacked him on the chest. "I've been listening to Vik, _again_. She says that guys _don't_ like it when you make it easy on them. 'Make them work for it.'" Hayley stared up into Elijah's eyes.

Rolling his eyes, Elijah pulled her closer and kissed her deeply. "I _want_ you, Hayley. I want you whenever _you're_ _ready_." Pulling back, he looked down at her. "And you're _not_ ready."

Hayley grabbed him by a fist full of his shirt. "Don't be so sure, Mikaelson," she snapped, jerking him closer, and hopping into his arms, wrapping her legs around him.

"You have a geometry test in the morning," Elijah murmured against her lips.

"Don't care," Hayley mumbled, pulling his shirt off and working on his pants.

"I have to take my sister to school in the morning. And my younger brothers," Elijah continued, laying Hayley down in the grass.

Jerking his belt off, Hayley looked him in the eye. " _Do_ _me_ , Elijah," she ordered him.

Elijah sighed. He hated this part. The part where he would have to be older and wiser and say that this wasn't the right time. This would surely ruin his reputation if some fool ever learned of any of their trysts. "Hayley, _not_ tonight," Elijah said, jerking his pants back up.

Hayley looked like he'd slapped her. " _What_?" Her lower lip trembled. "But I thought _you_ wanted to."

"I do," Elijah said, hauling her off the ground. " _I_ _do_. I want you. _I_ _want_ _you_ ," he pressed her closer so she would feel how much.

"So _why_ aren't we?" Hayley asked him.

"Because you're _not_ ready," Elijah repeated himself, which he loathed to do.

Letting out a little whine of frustration, Hayley grabbed her bra off the ground and walked with him. They held hands in the early morning darkness. When they got to her house, he placed his hands on her hips, pressing into the side of her house and making her groan. "I'll see you at school," he promised her.

 _ **M F High**_

"I hate you!" Hayley spat at him. Her waves bouncing around her shoulder and Elijah resisted the urge to finger one of them. Her face flushed as she exposed the dental work that her father had paid handsomely for. "You're a _horrible_ person!" she snarled.

Elijah let out a scoff. "I'm _sorry_." Sarcasm dripped from his voice as Damon Salvatore came to stand by the row of lockers, watching their fight. Alaric Saltzman appeared by his friend's side. The two boys—friends of Niklaus'—watched Hayley scream at Elijah. "Remind me that you _own_ this hallway, and I'd be sure to steer my course, in _another_ direction. I'd _hate_ to cause you an _inconvenience_."

Smirking down at Hayley, he watched her mouth open, and knew she was about to explode. "What in the _hell_ is _wrong_ with you?" she asked him, smacking him on the shoulder with a textbook.

Quiet suddenly descended on the crowd as they waited for Elijah to gut Hayley like a fish. He stepped closer to her, until her back was against a locker. He slammed a hand, a quarter-inch from her face, people jumped at the sound of metal rattling. " _Touch_ me, _again_ , _Marshall_ , and you will _never_ make it to your sophomore year," he said quietly, but loud enough for the other students to hear. He stepped back and headed down the opposite end of the hallway.

 _ **M F High**_

Hayley came out of the showers and let out a scream when she found Elijah sitting on a bench, in the girl's locker room. "You know, you _really_ _shouldn't_ come up here by yourself. You _never_ know who will be lurking up _here_ ," he teased her.

Hayley rolled her eyes and shook her head at him. "You're _crazy_ ," she told him.

" _Yes_. I am." Elijah watched her stand five feet from him, dripping water on the floor, a towel wrapped around her body that she held up with one hand. "Come here." He wiggled a finger at her and Hayley smirked at him. She walked over and straddled him.

Elijah laid her on her back, on top of the bench, opening the towel and admiring her. "I wish that high school ended _tomorrow_ ," he told her.

" _Why_?" Hayley asked him, running her hands through his hair, making it wet.

"Because I would take you to France. Somewhere quiet. Probably in the country. I _hate_ this place. All of the chatter. Everyone knows everything about everyone else." Elijah pressed his lips to hers. Pulling back, he whispered into her ear. " _I_ _want_ _you_."

"I can tell," Hayley mumbled against his neck. She pulled his jacket off and then pulled his shirt up. "Take me _now_ ," she mumbled as she reached for his pants.

"I don't have a _condom_ ," Elijah told her.

"I _don't_ care," Hayley said.

Elijah looked down at her. "Neither do I, but we're _not_ ready for _that_."

"Fine, then do this," Hayley pushed his head down, and Elijah obliged, moving down her body, between her legs. She cried out, her body shaking as he moved. "Oh, Elijah. Oh, my God!"

" _Hayley_!" a voice came from downstairs and they froze. "Hayley, are you _in_ _here_?"

" _Get_ _off_ ," Hayley whispered, eyes huge and filled with panic. Elijah moved away from her, quickly. He hurried back to the showers and jerked a curtain closed. Hayley threw his shirt and jacket in with him. His jacket fell in a puddle of water and he cursed under his breath.

The sound of footsteps came closer. "There you _are_!" Vikki Donavon's high voice made Elijah want to throw the curtain open to give her a good scare.

" _Geez_! You're going to be _late_ for the party," Vikki snapped at Hayley.

Hayley sneezed. "I'm sorry, Vik. I think I'm coming down with something."

"No, you're _not_. You're _coming_ to this party. You _need_ _to_ _see_ and _be_ _seen_." Again, it took all of Elijah's self-control to not step out of the shower stall to tell Vikki to get the hell away from Hayley.

"How else are you going to _lose_ your V-Card?" Vikki demanded. "Come on, Hales. Let's see you get your slut on! Do it for the _team_!" Hayley said something that Elijah did not hear. "I _don't_ care. Just drop your pants and get it over with. Trust me, first time, _worst_ _time_. Better to get on with it while you can."

The sound of retreating footsteps made Elijah peer outside of the shower curtain. "The coast is clear," Hayley called. He came out of the stall to find her, hips pressed into the bathroom counter, tears trailing down her cheeks. "She's _such_ a bitch," she muttered, sniffling.

"Then drop the _stupid_ team. To hell with them and Vik's _insane_ demands," Elijah whispered, pressing his body into hers. Hayley looked at him in the mirror. Her expression darkened.

"This is who _I_ _am_ , Elijah. If you _don't_ like it—and you _don't_ like what I _want_ —go find someone _else_ to screw," Hayley snarled at him, attempting to shift away from him.

" _No_ ," Elijah snapped, jerking her back and turning her around to face him. He kissed her deeply; tugging her on top of the counter. Her legs went around his waist, and he undid his pants, pressing closer to her. She cried out as he moved against her.

"Elijah," Hayley gasped. "Now," she told him, looking him in the eye. "Now. I want _you_. _Now_." She wrapped her arms around his neck, angling her body upward and he cried out as she moved so they were almost together.

At the last minute, something occurred to Elijah that made him jerk backward, nearly knocking Hayley to the floor. "You're doing _this_ to fulfill Vikki's dictate. How _long_ has she been trying to _force_ you have sex?" he demanded.

Hayley's cheeks burned. "Elijah, it _isn't_ like _that_!" she exclaimed, trying to pull him back to her.

" _How_ _long_ , Hayley?" Elijah snapped, his eyes glowing with anger.

"Since I joined the team," Hayley whispered.

" _Every_ _week_? Every week that we've _almost_ had sex has been because of Vikki bloody Donavon?" Elijah yelled. He did not care if someone heard him at this point. He took a series of steps away from Hayley.

" _You_ wanted to!" Hayley yelled back, tugging her towel around her body and hopped off the counter. "You wanted me. You wanted me _before_ I joined the team. You _invited_ me to the bleachers. _You_ kissed me the first time. _You_ wanted _me_!" she cried, her lower lip wobbling. This time Elijah did not buy it.

"Yes. I wanted _you_. You… You're _all_ the same. All you little bobble-headed girls." Elijah shook his head in disbelief. "And I thought that maybe there was something _different_ about you, Hayley. I was _mistaken_." Shaking his head, he turned to leave her alone.

"Elijah, you think that because Kat cheated on you that all girls are going to hurt you," Hayley called after him. "But _here's_ the thing. I think maybe you thought you _owned_ Kat and that's _why_ she –"

Hayley stopped talking when Elijah whirled around on a heel and came toward her. For once her eyes widened and she backed up against the counter when he stopped in front of her; placing a long finger in her face. "Do. Not. Ever. Talk. To. Me. About. Katherine. _Again_!" Elijah growled out, dropping his finger and watching Hayley's jaw tighten; her eyes glowing with rage.

"Screw you, Elijah. _Screw_ _you_!" Hayley yelled at him. "I _hate_ you!" She pushed him away and strode over to her locker, jerking clothes out, she tossed them on the bench. "Get the hell out of _here_!" she screamed at him.

Elijah didn't wait for her to scream at him twice. He walked past her and then ran down the steps. He could care less what she did at the party or who she did it with. She could do the whole school.

Katherine. Why did she have to bring up Katherine bloody Gilbert. He'd loved her. He'd lost her. She was never his. Hayley was right. Katherine was Katherine's. She would always do what she wanted, with whomever she wanted. He should have known better than to try to keep her, but he wanted more. He wanted what she couldn't give him. And neither could Hayley.

Elijah slammed out of the school; looking for a fight. He found one at a bar—just outside of town—and his father had to bail him out the next morning. No charges. Not on his record. Good. Wonderful. Lovely. Miss a day of school. That was fine. Mum and Dad didn't want him around that night. Lovely. He slept under the bleachers.

 _ **M F High**_

A month after the breakup, Elijah found himself walking outside Hayley's house. He climbed up the tree outside her bedroom window, and pulled out his knife, pricking his thumb and writing in blood on the window: _Bleachers_. He tapped on the window before climbing back down. Hayley's voice sounded in the dark. " _Elijah_!" she hissed as he walked across the lawn and down the sidewalk.

 _ **M F High**_

Elijah made it to the bleachers only ten minutes before Hayley arrived. "What's going on?" Hayley demanded. She'd grown two inches and seemed to have added an inch or two in a couple of other places. She looked radiant and he felt his heart bang in his chest.

Hayley watched him, her arms folded over her chest, the red of her Mystic Falls Cheer Squad zip-up hoodie stood out in the moonlight and he could see that her hair glistened with water. "I _missed_ you," he told her and moved toward her.

Eyes widening, Hayley threw her arms around his neck when he jerked her off her feet. "I _can't_ stand this," Elijah whispered, kissing her on the lips. He laid her down on the grass and Hayley stared up at him while he unzipped her hoodie. "I no longer care why. I care about _who_. I _care_ about _you_ ," he said quietly.

"Elijah," Hayley whispered, stroking his cheek and he pulled her sweatpants off. She shivered in the cold. It had snowed early last week, and might snow again tonight. They would both get sick from tonight's drama but Elijah didn't care. She made him go mad. "Elijah," she moaned as he undid his pants and she cried out as he moved and her eyes rounded. " _Elijah_!"

"Are you alright?" Elijah asked her, stopping.

"Um-hum," Hayley grunted, nodding quickly and kissing him. "Don't stop. _Don't_ you dare stop," she continued to cry out as he moved on top of her. Light flakes began to fall around them and Elijah sighed. "Don't stop," she whispered and he complied.

 _ **M F High**_

Early the next morning, Elijah woke up to find that he and Hayley were covered in about a half-inch of snow. "Hayley," he called, giving her a slight shake.

Hayley woke up and looked at him. "Hi," she said, moving to kiss him.

"It's morning. The sun is out. We're covered in snow. This does _not_ add up to anything good." Elijah removed his phone. "And school starts in an hour. _Someone_ is bound to find us." Standing up, he pulled her to her feet.

"That was…I want to do that _again_ , _tonight_ ," Hayley told him, kissing Elijah on the lips.

Elijah wondered what their fellow students would think if they found the heir to their school's queen-ship—with the resident bad boy—naked, and making out on the football field. Well, if they stayed too much longer; they would find out. "We _must_ go," he whispered. "I l—"

Hayley smiled and interrupted him with a kiss on the lips. "I l—you, too," she murmured against his lips.

They dressed in a hurry and he walked her back to her house. On their way there, Elijah saw Anna Zhou and Vikki in Hayley's driveway. " _Shit_ ," Hayley groaned, her shoulders drooping.

"I'll go. I'll see you later," Elijah promised her, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before he ducked into someone's hedge. He heard the sound of the girls greeting each other, a series of car doors being slammed, and glimpsed Vikki driving off.

"Hiding from something, brother?" a voice came from Elijah's right.

Climbing out of the bush, Elijah found his brothers, Kol, Niklaus and Finn coming toward him. Kol had a smug grin on his face and his hair was a mess. Niklaus' shirt was on backwards. And Finn, looked dazed and pale. "Hold him up," Kol cried out when Finn tried to fall into a bush and began to laugh hysterically.

" _What_ are you three _doing_?" Elijah demanded, glaring at his younger siblings.

"Partying, with Elena Gilbert," Klaus admitted, his eyes felling to the tops of his sneakers.

"You _should_ have been there!" Kol cried excitedly. "Bonnie Bennett did a strip tease. Well, that was until the wanker, Enzo something, dragged her off the table top. And I made out with some girl. Don't remember what her name was though. Looked a bit like that Hayley Marshall bird."

Elijah's hands curled into fists. "Was it Hayley?" Kol asked his brothers.

Klaus shrugged. "Anna came to the party. We made out in Amara's room, with the door open, and I believe that Damon's brother was videotaping us. Remind me to beat him up, _will_ _you_?"

Kol nodded. " _Yes_. _I_ _will_. I do _believe_ that he made a sex tape with one of my exs."

Finn ran over to the bush and leaned over; puking into the bushes. "Let's get him home," Elijah grunted after Finn finished up.

 _ **M F High**_

"Don't you have anything _better_ to do!" Hayley snapped at Elijah, who had begun to rip her copy of _Hamlet_ to shreds and tossing the pages at her.

Hayley stood over him, hand on her hip as she scowled down at Elijah. Anna, Vikki, and Vikki's minions stood over him while he continued to rip her book to shreds before taking a page and offering it to her. " _Here's_ your lines," he told her.

"To be or not to be—." Hayley's face scrunched up and she tossed the paper at him. "Oh, _fuck_ _you_ , Mikaelson!" Her upper lip curled in a way that made Elijah feel a thrill.

Klaus stopped by the row of lockers. "'Lijah, _please_ , leave her _alone_ ," he said quietly, looking at the other kids who watched their antics.

" _Why_ should I?" Elijah demanded, getting to his feet and throwing the rest of the book at a scared looking sophomore. " _Why_ should I take orders from _you_ , the _self_ - _appointed_ _royalty_ of this school? Rise up and rebel against their _tyranny_!" he shouted, pointing at his brother and the cheerleaders.

Hayley shook her head at him as Elijah watched the other kids look at each other uncertainly. "Never mind, I _forgot_ who I am speaking to. Please, _carry_ _on_." Stomping down the hallway, Elijah rolled his eyes as he entered the library.

Minutes later, Hayley came in, and jerked him by the shirt collar, behind the last shelf. "You are _so_ hot," she said and Elijah pinned her to the wall behind him.

"I do _hate_ your friends," Elijah confessed.

"They'll be leaving soon. We just have to get through the next two years. And then we can do _whatever_ we want, _wherever_ we want," Hayley promised him and Elijah grinned down at her. "I'll be queen and you'll be…"

"The _dragon_ that you keep to protect you from the masses," Elijah said, watching Hayley smirk at him.

"I was _thinking_ a knight," Hayley suggested.

Elijah smirked. "How about a _prince_ , like _Hamlet_." He was joking. He would never stoop to be a part of MF High's elite.

"Or a _king_?" Hayley said breathlessly.

"Or we will have _graduated_ ," Elijah whispered.

Hayley paused, pulling back from him. "And then _what_?"

"I don't know. I _leave_ this _tiny_ town," Elijah told her, not wanting to stop and pulling at her skirt.

Hayley pushed his hands away. "You're going to _leave_. You're going to _leave_ _me_. _Here_?" She tried to pull away, but he held her still.

"I will _never_ leave you," Elijah promised her, his hands on the hem of her skirt again.

Hayley shook her head. "You want me to come with you? And _do_ what? I _have_ to finish up high school."

"It's over-rated," Elijah replied, undoing his pants.

Hayley groaned as he pushed her back up the wall. "My parents. And my friends. And…and…oh, my…My…umm… _My_ _crown_. I _want_ my crown. I _want_ to be Miss Mystic Falls." Her eyes connected with his, her mouth open as she emitted a quiet cry of pleasure.

"And _I_ _want_ to leave this place," Elijah retorted, moving more quickly.

" _Stop_ arguing with me," Hayley snapped, jerking his lips to hers.

Elijah had the sense that that they would keep having this argument over and over and over again.

 **Thank you for reading, faving, following and reading.**

 **Answer to guest review:**

 **Guest: Thank you! There will be more Haylijah-centric stories to come.**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: End It!

 **Five Months Later:**

Sitting in front of her mirror, Hayley was lost her thought while brushing her hair. Her mom hadn't been feeling well lately and had a doctor's appointment in the morning. Hayley offered to go with her, but her mom wanted her to go to school. She didn't become a sophomore every day. Her grades had begun to slip late last year—thanks to all of her late nights—under the school bleachers. Hayley had begun to wonder if she and Elijah needed to take a break. She had to consider her future.

"So _this is_ where princesses sleep at night?" Elijah's voice startled her and Hayley whirled around to find him climbing through her window and into her bedroom. His black boots hit the floor with a solid thunk. He grinned as he came toward her.

" _Elijah_?" Hayley whispered. "What are you doing _here_? My parents _are_ at home," she cried as he came to kneel beside her bench.

"I came to kiss my princess good night, like the _good_ , little prince you want me to be," Elijah told her, his tone mocking as he reached for her.

"Elijah, _seriously_ , you _can't_ be here. Now: _Get_ _out_ ," Hayley ordered him, standing up and trying to get past him. His hands moved to her hips, easing her closer. His lips pressed to the bare skin of mid-drift, between her shorts and her tank top. "Elijah. _Please_ ," she muttered, biting her lower lip.

"I _love_ it when you beg," Elijah said, looking up at her and Hayley rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. His fingers slid into her shorts and she sighed. "Hayley," he said, taking her hand and tugging her to the floor. "Hayley, I love you," he whispered, moving on top of her.

"You love _sex_ ," Hayley replied, and Elijah stopped moving, his entire body frozen. She saw something in his eyes that made her freeze up as well. She hadn't been sure that she could actually hurt him until that moment. The look that he gave her. His eyes darkened and lost their focus, looking inward. He pushed himself to his feet and moved away from her. " _Bye_ ," he said, he strode to her window. His hands moving toward the glass.

"Elijah!" Hayley cried out, running in front of him and plastering herself against the glass. " _Wait_! Please! I'm _sorry_!"

Elijah placed his hands on her hips, lifted her and set her aside. He pulled the window open and swung one leg outward, his upper body poised to follow. She grabbed his belt, causing him to turn his head to give her a hard look. "I _love_ you," Hayley said, staring him in the eye. "I love you, Elijah Mikaelson. Now, get in my bed. I'm not _asking_ you, I'm _telling_ you."

"Oh," Elijah straddled the windowsill, half-in and half-out of her room. "You think I take orders from the princess _now_?" he demanded, his eyes glowing.

"I demand that you take the _queen_ to bed," Hayley snapped, undoing his belt. "Be a good _dragon_ and set me on fire," she teased him, leaning over and kissing him on the lips.

Elijah slid off the windowsill and back into her room and his eyes were still dark but fully focused on her now. Her heart pounded in her chest as he refused to make a move. She reached up, her fingers in his hair and pulled his lips to hers. When he pulled back, his eyes searched hers before a grin tugged at the corners of his lips and he jerked her off her feet. She giggled as he carried her to her bed. They'd never had sex in a bed; even in the dead of winter. They'd had sex in other people's cars. In closets and classrooms. On top of the piano, in the music room. On the stage, in the theater. On a mat, in the gym. But never in a bed.

" _Hayley_!" a voice called and Hayley panicked.

"That's my _mom_!" she hissed, shoving Elijah away from her.

Elijah grabbed his clothes and crawled under the bed. Hayley jerked her shirt and shorts on just as her mom knocked on the door before coming in. "Hi, honey," her mom called to her from the doorway. Her mother's usual light tan had grown pale and she dark shadowing had appeared under her eyes. Still she offered Hayley a wide smile to go with her perky blonde bob. Her mother knew how to make things look sunshiny no matter how many clouds were in the way.

"Hi, mom," Hayley brushed her hair behind her ears, giving her mom an innocent look. Hayley did not want to make things worse for her mother by causing her to worry more about Hayley's out-of-character behavior. Or about the boy under her bed.

Her mom came over to sit down on the bed. "Are you okay with tomorrow?" her mom asked her. Her voice was solemn and her eyes held that worry that only a mother seemed able to evoke.

"Shouldn't _I_ be asking _you_ that?" Hayley said, taking her mom's hand and squeezing it.

"Oh, honey. I'm _fine_. Don't worry about me," her mother kissed her on the forehead and Hayley hugged her. Letting go, her mom kissed her on the forehead again, let out a sigh and smiled before she got up and went to the door. "Get some sleep."

"I will," Hayley replied with a smile.

Her mom left her room, closing the door with a soft click and Hayley blew out a breath. Elijah climbed out from under the bed. "Is your mother _alright_?" he asked her.

" _Yeah_. She's just been feeling kind of crappy lately. But I'm _sure_ she's fine," Hayley told him as he climbed under the sheets and she snuggled against him. "Can we just go to sleep tonight?"

"Yeah," Elijah said, stroking her hair. "I'm _only_ here for the sex, but I can wait, 'til morning."

"Jerk," Hayley mumbled, smacking him on the chest.

 _ **M F High**_

The next morning, Elijah climbed out the window. Hayley felt like Juliet as she leaned over and kissed him on the lips. "Have a good day at school, honey," she whispered to him, cocking her head to the side and grinning.

Elijah shook his head. "I will when we're in the back seat of Nik's new car, breaking it in for him." He ducked when she tried to slap him upside the head. "Good-bye, lover."

"Screw you, Mikaelson," Hayley called to him.

"You had _better_ , after leaving me like that last night," Elijah called back.

Rolling her eyes, Hayley danced into the shower and continued dancing until the hot water ran out. She was still dancing as she applied lip gloss and eyeliner. Grabbing the super-cute, mini-dress she'd bought on a trip to the mall with Anna and Liv, she slipped into it, and skipped downstairs. "Hello, Mommy. Hello, Daddy," she greeted her parents, kissing them on the cheek before grabbing an apple and heading for the door.

"Bye, baby," her mother called.

Hayley waved good-bye and then danced over to Vikki's car. Vikki looked bored. Anna yawned. And Liv looked perky. "Could you take any _longer_?" Vikki demanded.

Hayley's eyebrows rose. "What is _your_ problem?" she asked Vikki.

"Vik's college boyfriend, Tristan, _dumped_ her. Looks like his family is moving back to Europe and she has to find a _new_ _older_ _man_." Anna leaned against the front seat with a smirk.

Vikki turned to glare at Anna. "Remind me why I put you back on the team, after you started ogling that _freak_ , Jeremy Gilbert. He's going to end up in the coroner's office. I _love_ to party, but even I know when I'm _over_ - _doing_ it!" Vikki scoffed and tossed her hair.

"Speaking of guys to date: _Who_ are you dating, Hayley?" Vikki demanded, glaring at Hayley.

" _No_ _one_ ," Hayley said, sitting down in the passenger seat, buckling up because she knew that Vikki drove a zillion miles too fast.

Vikki rolled her eyes. "Bull shit," she cried, banging the steering wheel. "You blow me off, _all_ the time. It's got to be a boy…or a girl?" Eyebrow rising, Vikki gave Hayley a long look.

"You've got me. I've got a _secret_ _girlfriend_ ," Hayley confessed with a shrug. "Or _not_ so secret. _Right_ , _Anna_? Love you, baby," Hayley blew a kiss to Anna who fell against the backseat, laughing.

" _Ugh_! _Children_!" Vikki yelled, hitting the steering wheel again. "You _need_ to find a _boy_ , Hayley. Or, so, help me, I _will_ find one for you."

"Fine. _Fine_ ," Hayley shook her head. "I'll find _someone_."

" _Good_ ," Vikki said. She pulled into the school's parking lot. Anna and Liv got out, but Vikki grabbed Hayley's arm when Hayley moved to get out. "Go ahead, girls. I need Hayley for just a _moment_ longer."

After Anna and Liv left the parking lot, Vikki sat back and folded her arms over her chest. "How _long_ have you been _screwing_ _Elijah_ _Mikaelson_?" she snarled.

Hayley forced herself to look shocked. " _What_? _Ew_! _Why_ _would_ you _ever_ _go_ _there_! That is the _most_ horrible thing you've _ever_ said to me! And you've said some _pretty_ _heinous_ things to me in the past year!"

Vikki narrowed her eyes. "Do not _lie_ to me, Hayley Marshall. I caught you after the _last_ game. You kept hanging around the bleachers. I went to the after-game and you _weren't_ there. I came back, and _saw_ you two, in a sleeping bag, humping like rabbits. _Don't_ lie to my face."

Feeling sick to her stomach; Hayley looked at her hands. "We've been together since the first week of school. Well, the week _before_. It was just a stupid hook-up. Just making out. It felt _really_ good. And I don't know. He makes me feel alive, Vik. He's _not_ like what everyone thinks. He's _not_ a good guy, but he's _not_ a total psycho."

"I _don't_ care what the hell he _is_! He's _tainted_. And he did it to _himself_. And he did it to _you_ , too, because you spread your damned legs to him. There are, _like_ , about a _billion_ guys at the school who you could have screwed, but you _had_ to do _him_. It would have been easier to clean up a mess if you'd done _Tyler_ _Lockwood_ and he's _such_ a geek. Oh, my God! But _Elijah_ _freakin'_ Mikaelson. _No_ _one_ can recover from _that_ ," Vikki moaned, holding her head in her hands.

Hayley stared out of the windshield; not knowing what to say. "So, are you going to _tell_ _everyone_?" her voice came out so quietly that she could barely hear herself.

Vikki shook her head and gave Hayley a scornful look. " _You_ screwed up. You screwed up _bad_ , Marshall. And you screwed _me_ , too. I took you under my wing. I told _everyone_ that you would be the new queen. You are my _legacy_! So, _you're_ _going_ to un-screw this, for _both_ of us—or so help me God—I will become your _worst_ _nightmare_!"

Hayley closed her eyes, thinking quickly. Everything. Her whole future. Her hopes and dreams she'd had—long before she ever developed a crush on Elijah—in fifth grade—were coming, crashing down. No. She would not allow that to happen.

Turning to Vikki, Hayley stared at the older girl. " _Fine_. I'll end things with Elijah, but you're _going_ to give me _head_ _cheerleader_ —next _year_ —or we _don't_ have a deal."

Vikki's eyes widened. "Oh, you _little_ _bitch_. _No_. _No_ _way_! I'm not _ending_ my reign, _a_ _year_ _early_. Are you _mental_?"

"Do it or I will screw Elijah—on the Salvatore's coffee table—during tonight's party!" Hayley threatened.

Vikki's cheeks turned red. "You are _insane_! You're _crazier_ than he is. You two, _totally_ , deserve each other!"

"Do we have a deal or _not_?" Hayley demanded.

Lower lip trembling; Vikki nodded. " _Fine_ ," she said, gulping. "Starting _next_ year, the squad is _yours_. And you're _not_ just breaking up with him; you're breaking his heart."

Inhaling, Hayley felt like Vikki had just punched her in the throat. " _No_. A break up. That's what I agreed to."

"You're going to make him hate you _more_ than he hates Katherine Gilbert. You have to make him see you, the _real_ _you_. You're the queen, _right_? Or that's what you want. So, _be_ the damned queen. Remind him of his _place_ in your court. He's not _worthy_ of licking your Prada heel clean." Vikki's eyes glowed and a smile crossed her face. " _Yeah_. Make this _good_ , Marshall, _or_ _else_."

Gulping, Hayley nodded. She got out of the car and hooked arms with Vikki. They marched into the school together. Fellow students stopped to look at them and Hayley looked down her nose at them. Elijah stood in front of her locker with a sneer. "Marshall, come back for _another_ _round_?" he called to her.

Hayley flicked her hair over her shoulder and did not bother looking at him. She pulled away from Vikki, walked over to Klaus, tapping him on the shoulder. Klaus turned away from Caroline Forbes. "Hayley, what's u—" He began when Hayley kissed him, shoving her tongue in his mouth and tried to keep from gagging.

A series of hoots, cat-calling and laughter followed as Hayley pulled back and patted Klaus on the cheek. "Not bad, but I _would_ work on the technique," she told him. " _Later_!" Laughing, Hayley walked back to Vikki's side. She saw Elijah standing in front of her locker; his face had gone pale. "Where are _all_ the hot boys _this_ year?" Hayley called to the crowd. "I need a _date_ to the Salvatore party. _And_ _whatever_ _happens_ _afterward_!" she winked at a new kid and ran her tongue over her upper lip.

Boys began to push each other out of the way. "I'll go." "What about me?" "Hayley, take me with you!" Came from the boys.

"How about…" Hayley looked around at the boys, making Elijah her blind-spot, before she settled on Alaric Saltzman. He was tall, cute and seemed to be more of a friend to the girls than a boyfriend. "You'll do just fine," she told him, walking over and laying a hand on his chest. "I _hope_ you like pink. My _bedroom_ walls are painted that color."

Damon slapped Alaric on the back, a wide grin on his face. "Way to go, Ric!"

Alaric looked like he might be sick, but he forced a smile. " _Sure_. What time should I pick you up?" he asked her.

"You can meet her," Vikki interjected. "She needs to get ready with the girls."

 _ **M F High**_

Music pounded through the speakers at the Salvatore's. Stefan handed out drinks to the girls. Silas followed Elena around, with another one of the triplets, Amara, who kept groaning at everything Elena did. Caroline avoided Stefan's offer of a drink, running to Klaus' and Jackson Kenner's sides. She'd never lose her virginity in high school. Anna danced with Diego. Liv talked to someone, Hayley couldn't remember their name. Kol kept hitting on Bonnie Bennett, who blew him off.

Hayley made her way through the great room and to the kitchen. " _Ladies_!" Damon called with a huge smile. "How _good_ of you to come. Stefan, didn't give you a drink, _did_ _he_?"

"No," Vikki said, pushing Hayley toward Alaric.

Alaric looked nervous, sipping a beer and looking at Damon. "Hey," Hayley called, waving at her date.

"Oh, hey!" Alaric acted like he hadn't seen Hayley.

Damon gave Alaric a long look; his eyes bugging out. "Be cool, Ric."

"Yeah. _Sure_ ," Alaric said, nodding along.

"Why don't you show her _my_ _room_?" Damon suggested. I have a _really_ nice bathtub." He winked at Ric. "Oh, and here is _this_." He picked up a bottle of wine, a corkscrew driver and two wine glasses. "Thank me _later_ ," he said under his breath, loud enough for Hayley and Vikki to hear.

Hayley felt nervous when Alaric led her out of the great room. They went upstairs and she could hear Stefan calling after her. "Don't leave on _my_ account," followed by laughter.

They went into Damon's room, or Hayley assumed it was Damon's room. Alaric clumsily opened the wine bottle, his hands were shaking as poured them each a glass. He drank one, with long gulps before pouring a second. When he finished, Hayley sat down on the edge of the bed and stared up at him. " _So_?" she began.

"How was your day?" Alaric asked her.

Hayley let out a giggle. " _Really_?"

Alaric let out a chuckle. "Yeah. That was _really_ sexy. _Sorry_. I have _no_ game."

Shaking her head, Hayley grinned up at him. "It's okay. I'm just coming out of a relationship. Sort of. Never mind," she drank her wine and then held out the glass for a refill.

Filling her glass, Alaric poured a third one for himself. "Of _all_ of the guys in the school, you choose _me_ : _Why_?" He looked genuinely confused.

"Because…you're _cute_ and _nice_." Hayley reached out and placed a hand on his cheek. "It would be nice to be with someone who was nice." She leaned over and kissed him, trying to not think about Elijah.

Alaric pulled back from her. "Are you sure you're not, like, hung up on this _other_ _guy_ or _something_?"

" _Nope_ ," Hayley shook her head. She took his glass away from him and pulled him closer. "You should be _kissing_ me."

Nodding, Alaric started kissing her, and Hayley kept thinking about Elijah. She wanted this to be Elijah. She loved Elijah. She hated Vikki. But she wanted to be queen.

Hayley pulled Alaric on top of her. " _Okay_. Let's just do this," she told him.

" _Huh_?" Alaric stared down at her.

"You know: _Sex_. Then you can go tell _everyone_ how _great_ it was. _Okay_?" Hayley forced a smile, trying to get Alaric to keep going.

"Hayley," Alaric pulled away and looked down at her. " _I'm_ _sorry_. I don't know what is going on with you, but _this_ is _not_ happening."

Hayley rolled her eyes. " _Fine_. But if anyone asks: _It_ _did_. _Bye_." Taking off her bra, Hayley messed up her hair and then came downstairs. She stopped in the kitchen. "Hey," she called to Vikki. "I'm going home."

Vikki looked up from her phone. "Yeah?" she called back. "Excuse me," she said to the group of girls who surrounded her. Her fingers wrapped around Hayley's upper arm and she jerked her through the house and out the front door. They did not stop until they were in Vikki's car. "Did you screw Alaric?"

"No," Hayley snapped back. "But everyone will think we did." She turned her head, her eyes boring into Vikki's. "Don't forget our deal." Forcing the passenger side door open, she got out and decided to walk home.

 _ **M F High**_

Arriving home, all Hayley wanted was to cry herself to sleep but it looked like life had other plans for her.

"Honey," her dad called as she moved to get past the living room and up to her own room.

"Yeah?" Hayley called back.

"Can you come here for a minute?" her dad called.

Sighing, Hayley came into the living room and trudged to the couch. Her eyes moved to her parents. They were holding hands and Hayley felt her heart sink. "What's going on?"

"Honey," her father began but he stopped talking, his eyes glazing over.

Her mom looked at her husband, her fingers were turning pale and Hayley wondered how hard her father was holding onto her mom. She felt her stomach twirling. "Honey, I'm sick. I have cancer," her mother sounded like she was delivering a weather report about a tropical storm but still trying to find something to soften the blow. "But the doctors say I have a lot of options. I have a lot of pamphlets for you to take a look at. And there are groups for you to go to: Groups for families who have… who have…"

"Mom," Hayley felt her throat close up and her chest tighten. "I have to… I have to… I…" Shaking her head, she felt panic coursing through her system. "I have to go…" Jumping to her feet, Hayley ran upstairs and slammed her door closed. Her eyelids would not stay open and she pressed her body into the solid wood of her bedroom door.

"Everything alright?" Elijah asked and Hayley let out a cry.

Opening her eyes, Hayley took in the sight of Elijah sitting on her bed. "How did you get in here?" she snapped, narrowing her eyes.

"The window," Elijah replied, waving at it. His eyes were burning into hers. "Kol told me you had sex with Alaric Saltzman," he said with a smirk. "Which is funny given that boy is in love with Damon Salvatore."

"He is?" Hayley pressed her fingers to her lips. That would explain why he wsan't in to her. "How do you know?"

"Damon is Nik's best friend and the three of them have spent enough time in my home. People do things when they think you aren't aware of them," Elijah shrugged. "Like your little performance at the school today; was I supposed to buy it?" he demanded, standing up and moving to stand in front of her. His hands moved to either side of her head.

"Vikki knows about us. She told me to end things with you, or else." Hayley watched Elijah's lips twist into a smirk.

"'Or else?'" Elijah let out a chuckle. "I believe I will be having a little talk with Ms. Donavon, straighten things out and make sure she understands who she's screwing with." He took a step back and moved toward the window.

"Elijah. I made a deal with her." Hayley saw Elijah freeze before he turned to look back at her.

"What kind of deal?" Elijah's voice was low, more of a growl and her fingers curled into fists, her chin sticking out. "What kind of deal, Hayley?"

"I said I would stop seeing you if I could be the head cheerleader, next year. No more waiting. I become queen the minute this year is over." Hayley heard the words and felt like she was stabbing herself with rusty nails.

"You would dump me…for a pack of feral, back-biting, bobble-headed girls?" Elijah hissed, his contempt making her teeth grind.

"Those girls have names. And they are people, too. They are my friends. And if you don't like them, then you don't like me. And, to be honest, I don't really care what the hell you think. Now, why don't you do me a big, fat favor and get the hell out of my room. Queens don't let the peasants into their beds," she snarled at him.

Elijah's mouth opened and closed but he did not say anything.

"Oh, and Alaric might be gay, but all the boys I plan on dating this year, won't be," Hayley added. "I wonder what…what was his name…Brady, wasn't it—the guy who was part of Katherine's little threesome—I wonder if he's seeing anyone? Guess I'll find out tomorrow."

For a moment silence filled the room and then Elijah moved so quickly that Hayley could not have stopped him if she wanted to. He stomped over to her window, ripped it open, slamming it and she knew that her parents could probably hear the noise but she could not stop him. "Fuck you, Hayley," he shouted at her, not bothering to look back before he pushed himself out of her room.

Hayley walked to the window. Elijah stomped across her front lawn and then took off in a run. Slipping to the floor, Hayley began to sob. Her mother came into the room without knocking. "Hayley, what's going on? What was all that noise?"

"Hayley, I just saw Elijah Mikaelson in our front lawn. Did he hurt you? I'm calling the police!" her father said, coming into the room and standing over her.

"No, daddy! Don't!" Hayley sobbed. "He didn't do anything wrong. I… I… I'm so sorry," Hayley whimpered, "I'm so, so sorry," she cried into her mother's blouse. "I'm going to be better. I'll bring my grades up and go to all of your doctor's appointments and clean my room…and…and…and…mommy." She wailed, not able to tell them what really happened or how it was all her fault.

 **One Year Later:**

"Hi, mom," Hayley called, her ponytail bouncing as she strode into the kitchen, her bag packed, her uniform pressed and her sneakers shiny and brand new.

Her mother offered a smile. "Hi, honey," she said, adjusting the scarf on her head. She looked pale but happy. "Ready to take on your new year of school?"

"My reign begins today," Hayley replied with a grin. "So, Dad's going to Regina and is going to pick you up from your appointment at nine. I'll be home at five. In the meantime, I made sure that nurse Katlyn will be by from eleven, 'til three." Her eyes moved over the phone screen to make sure she got everything right. It always helped to live in a small town where your neighbors would be willing to check in on a loved one.

Hayley shifted her backpack on her shoulder. "Time to go," she said, helping her mom out of the house and to the car.

 _ **M F High**_

"How's your mom?" Liv asked as Hayley climbed out of her brand new car. She wished her dad had not thought that a convertible would make up for everything they were going through but she was not about to tell him that.

"She's at the doctor's today and things are going well," Hayley replied with a huge smile. "Enough of the bad stuff. Today I am our new queen."

"Yeah, you are," Anna said, coming over to join them.

Hayley linked arms with her girls and they walked to the front doors of the school. "Hayley!" her fellow students began to greet her like she'd become some type of heroine. "How's your mom doing? Can we get you anything? How was your summer? I'm having a party this weekend. I'm having a party tonight. What about the game tonight?"

Ignoring them, Hayley noticed Elijah. He stood by the lockers, his sister, Rebekah, beside him. His eyes scanned the hallway before meeting hers. Without a word, he turned his back and strode away.

"Got a boyfriend yet?" Stefan called, coming to stand behind her. "'Cause I'm always looking for new material."

"Go away, perv," Anna snapped, elbowing Stefan.

Hayley moved to her locker. She exhaled, her eyes closed and then she heard a loud voice, booming off the walls. "To the queen!" Elijah's voice called out.

Hayley turned to find a banner being taped up on the wall. It read: To Our New Queen and Her Reign. She waited to see what else Elijah had in store for them but nothing happened and she watched Elijah, trying to figure out what it was that he was trying to say.

Then a loud sound came from her locker and she jumped away from it. The students looked at each other before Hayley forced herself to open it. "May it be your undoing," was written in red paint above a small device that must have made the noise.

Hayley turned around and stomped over to Elijah. "You are insane," she yelled at him.

Elijah grabbed her by the upper arms, drawing her close to him. "For every day you walk these halls—thinking that this is your joy—I will be here to ensure it tastes bitter on your tongue and to remind you of everything we have both lost." He let go of her and stormed away, shoving other kids out of the way.

Inhaling, Hayley knew he would keep his word. And she looked forward to the war to come.

 **So, that is the end of the first mini story. Let me know if anyone would like another peek into the lives of the MF gang.**

 **Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.**

 **Answer to guest review:**

 **Guest: Thank you the wonderful review. I hope that you enjoyed the last chapter—although it was bit of a heartbreaker—but we know that they still found their way back to each other. I hope to write a sequel to** _ **A**_ _ **Not**_ _ **So**_ **and there will be more Haylijah and their little one.**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, my lovely readers. This chapter ties in some events with Hayley and Elijah in between chapters 20-23 and dedicated to Anon and Secret Salute, on Tumblr. On with the show…**

Chapter 4: Can't Let You Go

Lying under the bleachers, Elijah Mikaelson used his knife to etch into the wood above his head: Hayley Marshall is a Bitch. _No_ , he thought to himself, _not strong enough_. He thought about what words he could use to truly illustrate his feelings toward his school's reigning queen. Nothing creative enough filled his head. He needed inspiration and where would be a better source then the target of his derision herself.

Elijah started to slide out from the bleachers when he heard a loud cry from the football field. "Damn it!" a voice cried and Elijah peered outward.

And there she sat, rubbing her calf, as if the mere thought of her made her materialize. "Hayley," Elijah growled.

Hayley continued to massage her calf, unaware of Elijah's presence as he slid out from under the bleachers. Striding over to her, he stood over the girl, his shadow casting her in darkness.

"Do you _mind_?" Hayley snapped, her head falling back. Her high ponytail fell down her back and Elijah smirked at her.

"Am I in _your_ _way_?" Elijah inquired, kneeling down, his hands falling between his knees, his smirk widening.

"Yes. You're blocking my sun," Hayley retorted, removing her hand from her calf and leaning back on her elbows, her feet pushing themselves between his legs so she could lay comfortably.

However, Elijah did not intend for Hayley to be comfortable. He leaned closer. "Here to tan?" he asked her. "Need me to massage some lotion into your skin. I know how easily you burn," he murmured, his fingers moving to graze over her thigh.

Hayley's eyebrows rose. Her head tilted but she was not giving in. "Actually, I just lathered up. Thanks," she told him with a wide, fake smile.

Narrowing his eyes, Elijah slid his fingers down to her calf and he pushed his fingers into her muscle. Hayley let out a cry of pain. " _Elijah_!" she cried, tears filling her eyes. "Stop it. That _hurts_."

"Hayley, you are such a _stupid_ girl," Elijah murmured, his eyes moving from her calf to her eyes. She stared back at him, her lower lip puckering outward.

"I _hate_ you, Elijah. I really, really, _really_ _hate_ _you_!" Hayley spat at him. Rolling onto her side, she pushed herself to her feet and started to walk away when she let out a yelp and started to fall.

On instinct Elijah caught her. Her eyes rolled up to look at him, her head falling back against his chest. "Stupid, stubborn girl," he muttered, tugging her upward and into his arms. If anyone saw them like this, he might drop her on the grass and walk away. After all, she'd once dropped him for her idiotic dreams.

Groaning, Hayley buried her face into his t-shirt and clung to him. Elijah hated to admit how good it felt to hold her like this. "Where are we going?" she whispered into the fabric of his shirt, her lips warm.

"Home. To my home," Elijah said. "My parents are out-of-town. Niklaus and Caroline are disgustingly inseparable and Kol is off—doing God knows what with who."

"Whom," Hayley said, turning her head to look at him.

"Tomorrow, I will take you to a doctor. Whether you like it or not," Elijah whispered.

"Aren't you the caring ex," Hayley taunted him, a smirk on her face. "If only you could have been this nice before you put that damned video went up."

Elijah rolled his eyes. "I thought that was foreplay, darling," he told her. He edged his car door open and set her in the passenger seat before moving around the car to sit in the driver's side.

Once Elijah sat behind the wheel, he noted Hayley's eyelashes lowering. "You shouldn't go to sleep with me in the car. Who knows what I'll do to you?"

Rolling her eyes, Hayley yawned. "Do what you want. I'm taking a nap."

Shaking his head, Elijah drove them back to his house. He tugged Hayley out of the car before carrying her around the side of the house. Elijah rarely used the front door. Too much effort. Thanks to Kol, the back door usually remained open. He smirked when he gripped the handle, finding it open. "Thank you, brother."

"Hmm?" Hayley hummed, nuzzling his chest.

"Nothing," Elijah muttered. He carried her up to his room and kicked the door closed.

"Elijah," Hayley muttered as he laid her on the bed.

" _Yes_?" Elijah replied, pulling her sneakers off and allowing them to drop to the floor with two, solid thuds.

"I miss you," Hayley whispered.

"Oh, _really_?" Elijah said, kicking off his boots and laying down beside her.

"Uh-huh." Hayley's head moved to press against his shoulder. Her lips moved to his neck and he closed his eyes.

"Hayley, you shouldn't start something you are unwilling to finish," Elijah warned her, his hand moving to the bottom of her shorts, and down the back of her thigh.

Hayley lifted her head. With one hand, she removed the hair tie and tossed it onto the floor. Her hair fell across his chest and Elijah breathed in her scent. His hand moved into her hair, jerking her to him and he kissed her deeply.

Moaning, Hayley's fingers went to the bottom of his t-shirt and he sat up. She jerked his shirt off, throwing it on top of a pile of his discarded clothes. Her grin made him remember every stolen moment they'd ever shared together. "I missed you, too," he muttered, rolling her onto her back and enjoying what he'd lost.

~0~

The next morning, Elijah woke to find Hayley still in his bed. She slept peacefully, her clothes littering his room. He reached above his head, grabbing the tiny pair of black, lace panties they had thrown there the day before.

Grinning, Elijah kissed Hayley's shoulder blade and then he forced himself to get out of bed. He needed to go downstairs, to see if they had any food. If they did not, he would go out and find something for them to eat. He was in a good enough mood not to threaten anyone at the Mystic Grill this morning.

Elijah opened his underwear drawer and tossed Hayley's panties in with his own things. His mother had long since given up on doing his laundry so he did not worry about her finding the cheerleader's underwear.

Whistling, Elijah opened his door and then closed it behind him. He wasn't worried about their being caught because he did not expect anyone to be home. Heading down the stairs, Elijah stilled when he heard sounds from the kitchen. "Nik?" Kol's voice made Elijah grit his teeth.

Kol strode into the living room and stared at Elijah. "Lijah. Didn't expect to find you home. The bleachers being reconstructed?" Kol inquired, taking a sip from the open orange juice carton.

Elijah's eyes narrowed and he moved toward Kol, jerking the orange juice carton from his brother's grip. "Don't you have a girl to deflower?" he demanded, watching Kol take a careful step backward, running into the coffee table and wincing.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Kol retorted with that grin that usually got him whatever he wanted from his friends, girls, even their parents. Turning, Kol headed into the kitchen.

Following Kol, Elijah leaned against the doorway, separating the kitchen and the living room. "I think you know exactly what I mean. You've been sniffing around Nik's protégé. That girl, Diana something."

" _Davina_ _Claire_ ," Kol spat back at him, opening a cabinet door and pulling out a box of cereal.

"Yes. Her. Shouldn't you be wooing her as we speak, instead of being here—under my feet—with the knowledge that I might stuff you into the garbage bin and wheel you out for pick-up?" Grinning, Elijah watched Kol's back stiffen. It would not be the first time that Elijah had stuffed Kol into the garbage bin. Nor would it be the last if Kol did not leave, soon.

" _Fine_ ," Kol snapped. Jerking a drawer open, he pulled out a spoon and then reached for the fridge door.

Elijah strode over, shoving the door closed, barely missing Kol's fingers. "Time to leave, brother," he snapped, glowering at Kol who hurriedly poured milk on his cereal. Fingers going around the milk carton, Elijah pulled it from Kol's grasp. Kol's eyes moved to Elijah's and his little brother looked just like he did when he was five.

Sighing, Elijah placed a hand on the back of Kol's neck and escorted him to the kitchen door. "And do us both a favor, do not return until Monday," Elijah said, watching Kol stumble out of the house and slamming the door behind him.

With a wide smile, Elijah walked over to the fridge and opened a drawer. Finding margarine, he removed it and then looked for a few other items. Breakfast in bed and then off to the doctor's.

Elijah did not take long preparing toast, squeezing a few oranges into glass for a nice drink—hopefully Hayley liked pulp—too bad if she did not. Slicing strawberries and lying them on the toast in a haphazard manner, Elijah felt pleased with his offering. Grabbing a daisy from a bouquet on the kitchen table, Elijah placed it between his teeth and walked upstairs.

"Breakfast is served," Elijah said, opening the door, tray held in one hand.

Stopping in the doorway, Elijah could only stare at the bed. Hayley was not on it. Her clothes were gone. Maybe she heard Kol. The shower was not running but he put the tray down and looked in the bathroom. She wasn't in there. She'd left.

~0~

" _President_ ," Damon kept saying. He stood in the living room of his house, looking pleased with himself and he grinned, holding up a cup of something that made Hayley's cheeks feel warm. "And V. P." He saluted her with his drink and she rolled her eyes but could not stop smiling.

People kept coming in the front door. It was like the entire school had decided to show up to celebrate their achievement. Hayley felt high. She thought she could dance all night—although she had to be careful not to reinjure her calf. Nothing to bring her down.

"Marshall," Elijah's voice sounded in her ear and Hayley gave him a long look.

"Yeah?" she retorted, flipping her hair off her shoulder.

Anna sat across from her, giving her a look and Hayley ignored it. There was no way that Anna knew anything. She and Elijah had a new agreement. They would do it where and whenever they pleased, as long as neither of them actually bothered talking about it or trying to put a label on it or ever discussing their feelings about it.

"I believe a friend of yours is in a compromising position with a certain chess champ," Elijah told her.

"Oh, I am going to kill Liv!" Hayley growled, getting to her feet. "It's bad enough to date him but to be doing it at Damon's party is just so wrong."

"Actually it is _Rebekah_ ," Elijah told her with a mock serious expression. "I would stop her, but, as her brother I would find it my duty to kill young Marcel and I would really hate to ruin your big night." A smirk crossed his face and Hayley let out a groan before stomping to the stairs.

Hayley could hear Elijah's heavy boots right behind her on her way up. "Where are they?" she demanded, ignoring the sounds of moaning and groaning from various rooms. She'd seen enough and done enough, she did not feel like seeing her friends and classmates hooking up with whoever's boyfriend or girlfriend tonight. She'd hear it all tomorrow while the gossip moved from ear to ear.

"In _here_ ," Elijah said, opening a closet door and Hayley peered into it.

"I don't see anything," Hayley replied. All she saw were the Salvatores' extra linens.

"Look _closer_ ," Elijah said, giving a little shove and she stumbled into the closet.

"Elijah," Hayley gasped, falling against a shelf of fluffy towels.

Hayley turned to find Elijah stepping into the closet and closing the door behind him. "You're right. There is no one else in here," he said. He did not give her time to react before he grabbed her, pressing his lips to hers and pressing her back into the fluffy towels.

Hayley let out a giggle while she fumbled with Elijah's belt. "We're going to get caught," she whispered while Elijah jerked her underwear off and threw them on the floor.

"Do I _look_ like I care?" Elijah inquired. She could hear the mockery in his voice and she rolled her eyes.

"I can't see you," Hayley said.

"Here." Hayley heard a tiny popping sound and the light above them came on to reveal Elijah, his I-don't-care look and the chain in between his fingers.

Smiling, Hayley pulled him closer. "I don't care either." She moaned he pushed further into the towels, knocking a few of them onto the floor and she let out a moan at the feel on his lips on her collarbone. "Elijah. Oh, God, Elijah. Yes!" she cried out, not caring who heard them.

"Hayley," Elijah cried, his hands moving into her hair, pulling her head back, his lips on her breast, her back arching.

Hayley could still hear the pounding music in the background, the sound of her fellow students all over the house but all she cared about was this moment. She felt more alive when she was with Elijah than at any other moment. "I love you," she mumbled against his lips.

"I love you, too," Elijah groaned, pushing her deeper into the shelves. She cried out and then they stilled, gasping and then laughing, quietly. "I love you so damned much, Hayley Marshall," he said, grasping her face between his palms.

Hayley felt her heart beat in her chest frantically. "Promise me that you'll come with me to New York. _Promise_ _me_ , Elijah."

"I'll go with you, anywhere," Elijah muttered, kissing and she groaned again.

They continued to make out while the party raged until Hayley decided that she should make one more appearance before escaping the party and going with Elijah to the bleachers or anywhere else. She didn't care where she was, just that they were together.

Leaving the closet, Hayley smoothed her skirt and then headed for the stairs. She noticed Genevieve glaring at her. That girl needed to find someone who felt the same way about her she felt about them. Try making some friends. Offering Genevieve a smile, Hayley moved to the top the staircase.

Maybe Hayley should make an effort to befriend Genevieve. She knew there were plenty of guys who would like her. She just needed a little help. Yes. Hayley would help Genevieve make friends and find a boyfriend before the end of the year. She would even have a long talk with Elijah about not using the poor girl. Friends don't use friends. Friends try to be supportive of friends.

Speaking of being supportive of friends, maybe she should lay off of Liv and Tyler. Hayley did not get to continue her train of thought as she moved to descend the stairs. A pair of hands moved to her shoulders. She felt the lightness of the touch. It felt like someone moving to embrace her, working from her shoulder blades downward.

But this was not an embrace. The hands became more sure of themselves, their pressure increasing and Hayley felt herself stumble. Her mouth opened, her eyes were on the bottom of the staircase. This was not happening. This night had been going so well. Now these fingers, nails digging in, pushed her night into a downward spiral.

Hayley's eyes closed. She had the same feeling every time she attempted a leap off the top of the pyramid. She felt like she might really be able to fly. But she was not flying. She was falling. And it was a long way down. Her back hit the hardwood, carpeting did not cushion her fall nearly as much she would like for it to. Knees curling inward, trying to protect her body. Bad calf already screaming. Elbows banging into wall and banister alike. That would leave a mark.

Then the thunk as her head connected with the floor and blessed darkness.

~0~

"Hayley, can you hear me?" a nurse said, her face far too close to Hayley's a light glaring into her eyes. Hayley lifted her arm and groaned, pushing her hand over her eyes. "Hayley?" the nurse called.

"Uh-huh," Hayley grunted. "The light is too bright."

The light moved and Hayley blinked, squinting at the nurse, her dad, a doctor. "Honey, you're awake," her father said.

"How are you feeling, Hayley," the doctor asked. His concern making her think of Derek Shepard, on _Grey's_ , before he left.

"Umm… Like I fell down a flight of stairs. Can I go back to sleep now?" Hayley asked them.

"Of course," the doctor said.

Hayley nodded and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

~0~

Hayley woke with a start to the feeling of a pair of hands on her shoulders. She opened her mouth to scream but one heavy hand clamped over her mouth, preventing sound from emitting in her bedroom. She felt her heart bang around in her chest. "Shush," a voice sounded in the dark and Hayley stilled.

Bedside lamp clicking on, Hayley inhaled sharply when she saw Elijah staring down at her. "Elijah," she breathed, feeling relief course through her. "They finally let you out." She had been so pissed when she found out they'd arrested him.

" _It's a girl who pushed me," Hayley had yelled at the detective who came to her room. He'd just stared at her._

" _Your back was turned Ms. Marshall," the detective told her. "How could you know?"_

 _Glancing at her father, Hayley inhaled sharply. "Elijah Mikaelson is my boyfriend. His hands have been on me plenty. I know exactly what he feels like. And his hands, are not that small," she said, watching the detective purse his lips, flip his notebook closed and then look at her father. "Elijah did not push me, detective. We have plans. We're happy. We're in love."_

" _Okay. We'll let you know if we have more questions," the detective said and left the room._

 _Hayley glanced at her dad. "I'm sorry, daddy."_

" _Hayley, I just want you to be happy, honey," her dad said, hugging her. "I will do whatever I can to make sure that Elijah does not pay for this crime."_

" _Thank you," Hayley muttered._

Now Elijah was in her room and she buried her face in his shoulder, inhaling his scent and enjoying the reality of him. "I _don't_ care what anyone thinks any more. I just want to be with you, Elijah. I love you so much," Hayley mumbled.

"I am going to _kill_ whoever did this to you, Hayley," Elijah said, pulling back and looking her in the eye.

"Elijah, don't. Just stay with me." Hayley tugged him down next to her. She believed she knew who had pushed her and she was not about to allow Elijah to do something he would regret for the rest of his life. She would talk to Genevieve, later. Right now she just wanted to sleep and wait for their life together to begin in the morning.

 **Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.**

 **Peace,**

 **Jessica**


End file.
